Tagged: Midwives

I love how this one photo has sparked so much debate. What started off as an edgy alternative to the typical cutesy pregnancy pics, has gone viral across the globe! From LA to London, to China, Germany and New Zealand. It seems like everyone has something to say on the matter. Cross Fit’s Facebook page, where the photo was originally posted, has received over 16.5K ‘likes’ and 1.7K comments! Lea-Ann Ellison is now at the center of a media frenzy. She is being interviewed for newspapers and magazines (such as the Huffington Post, In Touch magazine, the London Metro and the Daily Mail to name a few) all over to tell her story and to give her thoughts on exercising whilst pregnant. She hopes that all this hype will bring attention to an important health issue. In her own words, “I can’t believe this photo has caused this much stir, but it makes me hopeful that it will inspire other strong healthy moms to continue on doing what they love.” (And, her midwives concur)!!

Whilst in England recently, I came across the ‘Natural Birthing Company’ at a baby show event. They are consist of a group of Midwives with a holistic approach to Maternity care. They offer a number of services including doula support, educational classes and luxurious baby moon packages!

They also have a range of aromatherapy products to pamper moms and moms-to be in preparation for birth and motherhood. This is where I discovered the ‘Midwives’ Bomb’, which I think is a genius product! A yummy fizzy bath bomb which you can either use as a pre-labor treat to prepare your body, or during labor as a labor enhancer. It contains a great combination of goodies designed specifically for labor and birth:

Rosemary – for aching muscles and exhaustion

Vertiver – stress relieving, calming and grounding

Flax Seed Oil – for ripening the cervix

Raspberry Leaf – for toning the uterus and effective contractions during labor

A recent study published online in April in the journal Pediatrics, has shown that by giving local Midwives in Zambia basic training in essential newborn care, breastfeeding and diagnosing common illnesses, has already saved the lives of many infants at relatively low-cost. Researchers compared survival rates among 20,000 babies born before the teaching and 20,000 afterward. The first-week death rate among babies had dropped by almost half, they found, to 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births from 11.5 deaths.

New research has shown that expectant fathers should receive prenatal care as well as the expectant mother. Studies are now showing that fathers being more actively involved in the pregnancy can positively enhance maternal and infant outcomes, and reduce the risk of infant death in the child’s first year of life. Providing prenatal care for expectant fathers can encourage men to play a proactive role in pregnancy, which will allow for better maternal and infant health.

Yet another reason to come and join us at Art of Nursing Care, where as Midwives we encourage partners to join women in their prenatal care. We believe that birth is a normal event in the life of a family, and that gentle guidance through the journey of pregnancy and birth, lays the foundation for early parenting. During our holistic prenatal care a partner’s experience is highly valued and considered at every stage in order to provide them with optimal preparation for the experiences ahead.